The Great Depression and Indian Industry: Changing Interpretations and Changing Perceptions

1987 ◽  
Vol 21 (3) ◽  
pp. 585-623 ◽  
Author(s):  
Colin Simmons
Keyword(s):  
Great Depression ◽  
Economic History ◽  
Third World ◽  
Research Priorities ◽  
Satisfactory Explanation ◽  
The Great Depression ◽  
History Of ◽  
The Subject ◽  
The Third World ◽  
The Impact

To what extent was the underdeveloped world caught up in the vortex of the Great Depression? Did the crisis of 1929–33 leave a particular imprint upon the course of the economic history of the Third World during the inter-war period? Can the years spanning this quinquennium be fairly regarded as constituting a distinctive phase within the broader perspective of much longer-run trends? These questions, together with a whole host of related issues concerning the experience of particular areas, communities and industries, have recently been brought into much sharper focus than has hitherto been so. Although this reawakening of concern can be partly put down to the usual workings of the ‘scholarly cycle’, a far more satisfactory explanation may be found in relating it to the current round of public and academic discussion on the impact of the present-day depression. It is surely no coincidence that since the late 1970s there has been a considerable upsurge of interest in the events of that time; indeed it would not be too much of an exaggeration to say that the subject is forcing its way up the agenda of research priorities at a rate that would have been unthinkable even a decade ago. Over the last few years an increasing number of scholars have been busily engaged in the twin task of purposively re-examiningand reassessing a segment of intellectual territory that was once taken very much for granted and virtually shunted off to the sidelines. Thus by the end of 1986 at least three major international conferences will have been convened on the subject, and no less than fifty separate papers will have been presented.

Metropolitan Manila in the Great Depression: Crisis for Whom?

1991 ◽  
Vol 50 (3) ◽  
pp. 511-535 ◽  
Author(s):  
Daniel F. Doeppers
Keyword(s):  
Southeast Asia ◽  
Great Depression ◽  
Economic History ◽  
The Philippines ◽  
The Great Depression ◽  
History Of ◽  
Specific Assessment ◽  
Time Specific ◽  
The Impact ◽  
First Time

Despite its Importance, “the exact course and depth of the recession in the [Philippine] Islands have never been seriously studied” (Richardson 1984:208). Indeed, studies that attempt to calculate the impact of global trade cycles, including that of the Great Depression, on the employment economies of the primate cities of Southeast Asia form a special lacuna within the generally underdeveloped literature on the economic history of Southeast Asia. This article opens both research questions by presenting a time-specific assessment of the impact of this international business contraction on important segments of the economy and society of metropolitan Manila, the capital and major port-city of the Philippines. In particular, this article focuses on the depression experience of the large Filipino bureaucratic middle class, of Filipino manual workers in commodities handling, manufacturing, and construction, and finally of the Chinese commercial sector. The article provides a first-cut disaggregation and analysis of relevant statistical data—much of it assembled here for the first time, as well as commercial reports and the contemporary press. The result is a picture of selective dislocation and hardship but one that is at once more variegated and generally less severe than anticipated.

‘De-industrialization’, Industrialization and the Indian Economy, c. 1850–1947

1985 ◽  
Vol 19 (3) ◽  
pp. 593-622 ◽  
Author(s):  
Colin Simmons
Keyword(s):  
Economic History ◽  
Third World ◽  
International Economy ◽  
Short Discussion ◽  
Discussion Paper ◽  
The Road ◽  
Current State ◽  
General Functioning ◽  
History Of ◽  
The Third World

The purpose of this short discussion paper is to raise some general questions concerning the current state of the historiography on the industrialization of pre-Independent India. Although triggered off by a close reading of Professor Morris's contribution to the recentCambridge Economic History of India, volume 2, it is not my intention to review the essay in a detailed and systematic manner; rather I seek to place it in the wider context of what is, in my view, the unsatisfactory state of our accumulated knowledge. The paper is organized in the following way. Section II contends that all too little is known about a seemingly crucial sector—a vacuity that is not confined to India alone among the Third World economies—and that this tends to distort accounts of the general functioning of the international economy. In Section III I try to pinpoint the major areas of weakness, and then go on to suggest the main reasons for this somewhat surprising situation. Finally, in Section IV, I argue that Morris's study reflects the problems I identify but does not take us further down the road towards their resolution.

scholarly journals Colonialism and Underdevelopment: Critical Remarks on the Theory of Dependency

Itinerario ◽  
1980 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
pp. 42-52 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rudolf von Albertini
Keyword(s):  
Third World ◽  
Economic Policies ◽  
Colonial Era ◽  
Contemporary World ◽  
Existing Structures ◽  
The Third ◽  
History Of ◽  
The Third World ◽  
Administrative Structures ◽  
The Impact

As historians, living in the contemporary world, we ask and are asked about the causes of underdevelopment. And, as most of the former colonies belong today to the underdeveloped countries of the Third World, we are confronted with the question as to what importance the colonial era plays in the history of these countries. There is a consensus that the history of colonialism can only be meaningful approached in the broader spectrum of underdevelopment and the specific problems of the Third World. There is no satisfaction in retreatingto the ostensibly objective approach of the historian and wanting tolimit ourselves in showing how colonialism came into being, what administrative structures arose, what economic policies were followed and finally how the colonized revolted and the process of decolonization got under way. Society will simply not allow us to do so. Equally, if not more important, is the question regarding the impact of colonialism on the colonized societies and how far it may be held responsible for the existing structures of underdevelopment.

The Security Problematic of the Third World

1991 ◽  
Vol 43 (2) ◽  
pp. 257-283 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mohammed Ayoob
Keyword(s):  
International Relations ◽  
Third World ◽  
Security Studies ◽  
Systemic Factors ◽  
Late Twentieth ◽  
The Subject ◽  
The Third World ◽  
The Impact ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Late Twentieth Century

This article reviews some recently published volumes on the subject of Third World security and, in the light of the analyses presented in these books, attempts to discuss a series of major issues in the field of Third World security studies. These include (1) the applicability of the concept of security as traditionally defined in the Western literature on international relations to Third World contexts; (2) the domestic variables affecting the security of Third World states; (3) the impact of international systemic factors on Third World security; (4) the effect of late-twentieth-century weapons technology on the security of Third World states; and (5) the relationship between the security and developmental concerns of Third World states. The author concludes that while international and technological factors have important effects on the security of Third World states, the major variables determining the degree of security enjoyed by such states at both the intrastate and interstate levels are related to the twin processes of state making and nation building that are at work simultaneously within Third World polities.

scholarly journals Historiographic approaches and methods of sociological science

2018 ◽  
Vol 21 (10) ◽  
pp. 69-75
Author(s):  
V. G. Gorodyanenko
Keyword(s):  
Economic History ◽  
Sociological Approach ◽  
Research Orientation ◽  
Theoretical Perspectives ◽  
Research Problems ◽  
Public Consciousness ◽  
History Of ◽  
The Subject ◽  
Sociological Thought ◽  
The Impact

The article presents various approaches and methods of historiographic research, shows the interrelation between history and historiography. The works depicting the historiographic analysis of important sociological categories and concepts are singled out. The subject, methods and tasks of historiographic studies of the knowledge of sociological science are characterized. Types and varieties of historiographic sources are indicated. The article definitely starts the sociological direction in historiography, highlights the degree of study of historiographic and source research problems. The historiography of sociological science is defined as a branch of knowledge that studies the history of accumulation of sociological knowledge, the development of sociological thought and research methodology, the history of the creation of sociological works and biographies of scientists, the influence of sociopolitical life phenomena on the work of sociologists and the impact of sociological thought on public consciousness, the history of scientific institutions , organization of sociological education and dissemination of sociological knowledge.Attention is drawn to the experience of one of the most famous and influential historiographic schools of the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries – the Klyuchevsky school. This school carried out a synthesis of history and sociology. Revising the conceptual tools of knowledge of the past, which the preceding historiography had, he largely shaped the subject and method of national history in a new way, focusing on analyzing the evolution of the social structure of society, researching social and economic processes, rather than describing outstanding events. Due to this, the emphasis from political and legal history was shifted to the socio-economic history. This research orientation had a clear humanistic orientation, as it brought historical research closer to the person in his social environment.The historiography of the sociological approach in the microdynamic studies of J. Turner is described, which reflects the nature and direction of theoretical studies, which are distinguished by an orientation towards active theoretical and multilateral conceptual synthesis. Attention is drawn to the fact that the very fact of developing a theory of this type testifies to the nature of the unfolding of theoretical perspectives in modern sociology. T. Kuhn’s role in the development of historiographic research is shown. In particular, the historiography and sociological aspect of Kuhn’s theory is that various episodes in the development of historiography of sociological science contribute to reconstructing the historical process of sociology, revealing its beginnings and ends, and bridging the gap between sociological theorists and social practices.

scholarly journals The Smoot-Hawley Tariff Act of the 1930 as the classic example of a near-sided economic policy of the U.S. government during the Great Depression

2021 ◽  
pp. 22-38
Author(s):  
Alexander Vasilyev
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Great Depression ◽  
Tax Reform ◽  
The United States ◽  
Negative Consequences ◽  
Protection Measures ◽  
The Great Depression ◽  
History Of ◽  
The Impact ◽  
The U.S

The object of this research is the antirecession policy of the United States during the Great Depression. The subject of this research The Smoot-Hawley Tariff Act, process of its adoption, and consequences. Special attention is given to the history of increase of tariffs on imported goods. The legislative bill drafted by congressmen R. Smoot and W. Hawley is considered one of the unsuccessful economic reforms in the history of the United States. The tax reform was conceived before the recession and was called to protect local farmers from excess of cheap foreign agricultural products on American markets. However, there was no substantial benefit from the increased tariffs on imports. Most historians find that this measure worsened the position of the lower classes of the population. There is also an opposing opinion that the legislation did not play a serious role in deepening of the recession. The article analyzes the extent of the impact of this legislation in the U.S. during the 1930s. The scientific novelty of this research consists in utilization of the transcripts of addresses of the members of U.S. Congress as the sources for research of the process of passing the legislation, as well as press materials in order to examine opinions on the legislative bill and consequences of increased tariffs. It is established that the adoption of the Smoot-Hawley Tariff Act had negative consequences for the economy, although not as severe as commonly cited. The impact of the new law was not as substantial on the background of the ongoing Great Depression. Passing of the protection measures took place almost simultaneously with other countries, with some countries raising the tariffs before the United States. The tax reform greatly affected the political situation in the United States, playing its role in diminishing the ratings of the President and the Republican Party. 

scholarly journals Distant Thunder: The Regional Economies of Southwest China and the Impact of the Great Depression

2000 ◽  
Vol 34 (3) ◽  
pp. 697-738 ◽  
Author(s):  
TIM WRIGHT
Keyword(s):  
Economic History ◽  
Southwest China ◽  
Chinese Economy ◽  
Regional Economies ◽  
The Great Depression ◽  
Foreign Countries ◽  
History Of ◽  
Chinese Scholars ◽  
Chinese Capitalism ◽  
The Impact

A study of the impact of the 1930s World Depression on Southwest China intersects with two major controversies in modern Chinese economic history. First, there is still substantial disagreement over the severity of the impact of the Depression on China. The ‘traditional’ interpretation inside China has focused on the ‘bankruptcy’ of the economy in the 1930s (of which the Depression was one but not the only cause). While many aspects of the ‘bankruptcy’ and ‘stagnation’ theses have more recently been discarded or modified by Chinese scholars, recognition is still made of the gravity of the crisis of the 1930s: China's leading historian of its modern economy, Wu Chengming, writes in the third volume of the History of Chinese Capitalism: ‘The economic crisis of 1932–1935 was, with the exception of the wars of invasion launched by foreign countries, the single most severe blow to the Chinese economy’.

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